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Riley Calls Rutgers Tuition Increase a Step in the Wrong Direction

The university has raised tuition and fees for 2014-2015 school year

(TRENTON) - Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Celeste Riley (D-Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem) today expressed her disappointment with the tuition increase at Rutgers University which will cost the average undergraduate student who wants to attend the university an additional $300 or more in tuition and fees.

"This is a step in the wrong direction. The cost of college is already steep.

"At this rate, I worry that pursuing a college education will become a luxury that only a select few will be able to afford. This does not bode well for the future of our students or the state.

"Instead of making it more difficult for students to attend college, we should be actively looking for ways to make it more accessible. I proposed creating a college affordability study commission to find ways to make college more affordable, but the bill was conditionally vetoed by the governor earlier this month. I have sponsored a 20-bill legislative package to reform the higher education system in the state, including legislation to freeze tuition and fees. This is what we need to be doing so all students can have a shot at a degree.

"We tell children that if they work hard, they can achieve whatever they want.

"We should not limit students because their finances do not live up to their potential."